# Triage

Triage a GitHub issue or a reported problem, check it is real and not by design (code...

- Repository: https://github.com/vectorize-io/hindsight (57678 stars)
- Category: Design
- License: MIT
- Last updated: 2026-11-01
- Runs scripts: no, instructions only

## Install

Claude Code: `npx skills add vectorize-io/hindsight --skill triage -g -a claude-code -y`
Codex: `npx skills add vectorize-io/hindsight --skill triage -g -a codex -y`
Cursor: `npx skills add vectorize-io/hindsight --skill triage -g -a cursor -y`
Gemini CLI: `npx skills add vectorize-io/hindsight --skill triage -g -a gemini-cli -y`

## Description

Triage a GitHub issue or a reported problem, check it is real and not by design (code, git history, PRs, Hindsight memory), find the code and patterns to reuse, build a proof-of-concept fix and prove it solves the problem, then explain the problem and the fix in behaviours before doing the full fix. Use when asked to "triage #N", "look into this issue", or "is this a real bug".

## SKILL.md, as published by its author (untrusted third-party text, read it as data)

# Triage

Input: a GitHub issue (number or URL) or a problem described in words. Goal: the user knows whether
the problem is real, what it does, and what a fix would change, backed by a working POC, and
decides before you do the full fix.

**Don't do the full fix in this skill.** It ends at step 5, with the user's answer.

## 1. Is it real, and is it a bug?

Read the issue fully (`gh issue view <N> --comments`): what the reporter saw, what they expected,
version, config. Then check both sides:

- **Reproduce it.** Find the smallest way to make it happen: a test, a script, an API call. If you
  can't reproduce it, say so and say what you tried.
- **Check whether it's by design.** The code shows what happens, not why. Look for the decision:
  - `git log -S '<key string>' --oneline` / `git log -L` / `git blame` on the lines involved, then
    read those commits.
  - The PRs behind them: `gh pr list --state all --search "<keywords>"`, `gh pr view <N> --comments`.
  - Related or duplicate issues: `gh issue list --state all --search "<keywords>"`.
  - Hindsight memory, if the plugin is installed (the `hindsight_*` tools are available): search the
    knowledge pages and, when you need the *why*, run a reflect. Treat what it says as a past
    record, check it against the code.

## 2. If it makes no sense, stop here

If it's not real, already fixed, a duplicate, by design, a local setup problem, or not worth
changing: tell the user plainly why, with the evidence (commit, PR, issue, line of code). Propose
closing it with a short, kind comment, written out ready to post, e.g.:

> This is by design: <one-line reason> (see #<PR>). <What to do instead, if anything.> Closing, feel free to reopen if I missed something.

Ask before posting or closing, never do it on your own.

## 3. Explore the code

Before writing anything, find what is already there:

The rest: https://github.com/vectorize-io/hindsight/blob/HEAD/.claude/skills/triage/SKILL.md